Planers versus jointers

[RickHlavka]

Somewhere I read that I need both a planer and jointer to clean up wood, and I can't figure out why I would need a jointer? I harvested some trees a few years ago, hired someone to cut them into 1" slabs, which have been drying in a stack for almost 2 years, and now I'm preparing to clean them up to use for flooring, etc. I'm thinking of buying a 15" planer to smooth the faces and trim them down to size (3/4" for the floor, for instance). I think the edges can be straightened with a table saw, so what would I need a jointer for?

Plus, any other tips on how to go from the raw wood to finished lumber would be appreciated!

[Greg O]

A planer will not take a cup or twist out of a board. You pretty much need a jointer for that. A jointer can be used for other operations too, tapering for example.

I am in the other train of thought. I would like a jointer to true up boards after ripping them. No need for a planer as of yet, although being a tool junky, I may buy one, just in case! Greg

[Edwin Pawlowski]

There are ways of jointing wood without a jointer, but having one makes life easier.

How will you hold the warped, twisted, board flat to put it through the planer? You really can't and the planer will skim off material even if it is not parallel to the bottom. Both sides may be flat, but not parallel. That will make your floor sort of funny to walk on.

Running a twisted board through the table saw to get a straight edge can be dangerous. By jointing one edge first, the flat straight edge will run along the fence while the saw straightens the other edge. This can be done with a router in a table and the proper fence setup. It can also be done with a hand plane.

OK, first, run one edge across the jointer to make it true. Then . . . . . .. . . Ed [e-mail]